Art of War. Sun TzuЧитать онлайн книгу.
so, indeed,” replied Alexander smiling, “since we are at last relieved from the trouble of wandering in pursuit of Darius thro’ a wide and wasted country, hoping in vain, that he would fight us?” Alexander’s full front battle line was not so long as Darius’ centre. And this so seemingly fatal arrangement yet turned out to be most favourable for Alexander. For instead of attacking the Persian centre where Darius commanded in person and where the ground in front had been smoothed and prepared for the rush of the three hundred scythe-chariots, Alexander attacked vigourously the left wing driving them in front of and towards the centre. The onslaught of the Macedonian phalanx was irresistible and the Persian army, dominated by the god Fear, was in panic rout before Darius could get his unwieldy forces full into action or send forth the chariots upon which he so much relied. Alexander pursued the fleeing enemy until urged back by messengers from Parmenio saying his wing was surrounded by the Persians. Alexander reluctantly returned and full victory for the Macedonian army was soon proclaimed upon the field.
Darius, seeing that he was unable either to advance or to turn back, hastily leaped from his seat and seizing a riderless mare, he galloped as best he could over the bodies of the dying and the dead and thus escaped from the battlefield. The break in the friendship between Alexander and his ablest general, Parmenio, began with the Battle of Arbela. Was there jealousy, cruel as the grave, in the heart of the older man as he saw success after success crown the brow of the young commander? Granicus, Issus, Arbela – Europe, Asia, Africa, the world – had gone down successively under the Conqueror.
Jacques Courtois, The Battle of the Arbelles, 17th century.
Oil on canvas, 188 × 328 cm.
Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, Versailles.
Battle of Heraclea, 17th century.
Book illustration.
Battle of Heraclea
(July, 280 BCE)
Another such victory over the Romans, and we are undone.
Pyrrhus advanced, and encamped in the plain between the cities of Pandosia and Heraclea, hoping to attack the Romans as they were coming over, scattered and disordered. But when he saw a vast number of shields appearing above the water, and the horse following them in good order, gathering his men in a closer body, himself at the head of them, he began the charge. While exposing his hands and body in the fight, and bravely repelling all that engaged him, he still guided the battle with steady and undisturbed reason. After being almost killed by a horseman, Pyrrhus used greater caution, and changed his scarf and his arms with Megacles, one of his friends, and, obscuring himself, as it were, in his, charged upon the Romans. The change of his arms was very opportune for the safety of his person, not having done so would have overthrown his cause and lost him the victory; for several falling upon Megacles, the first that gave him his mortal wound was one Dexous, who, snatching away his helmet and his robe and holding them up, said aloud he had killed Pyrrhus. These spoils being carried about and shown among the ranks, the Romans were transported with joy, and shouted aloud; while equal discouragement and terror prevailed among the Greeks, until Pyrrhus, understanding what had happened, rode about the army with his face bare, stretching out his hand to his soldiers, and telling them aloud it was he. At last, the elephants more particularly began to distress the Romans, whose horses, before they came near, not enduring them, went back with their riders; and upon this, he commanded the Thessalian cavalry to charge them in their disorder, and routed them with great loss.
Hannibal stripping the dead Romans after battle, 19th century.
Engraving.
Battle of Cannae
(2 August, 216 BCE)
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
As the Romans approached, Hannibal took a position bringing the wind behind him, which at that season blowing constantly one way, and carrying with it great clouds of dust from the parched plains behind, he knew must greatly distress the advancing enemy. The Carthaginian forces amounted to but sixty thousand. The consuls, on their arrival in sight of Hannibal’s army, agreed to take the command on alternate days. Æmilius commanded on the first day, and judged it prudent not to attack the enemy. But the next day, Varro, without asking advice of his colleague, gave the signal for battle, and crossing a branch of the river Aufidus, that ran between the two armies, put his forces in array. The battle began with the light-armed infantry, the horse engaged next, but being unable to stand against Hannibal’s Numidian cavalry, the legions came up to support them. The action now became general. The Romans attempted in vain to break the centre of their enemy’s line, where the Gauls and Spaniards were stationed. Hannibal, observing this, ordered part of those troops to give way, and allow the Romans to advance till they were surrounded; chosen body of Africans then fell upon their flanks, and as they could make no effectual resistance, they were cut down. Varro made a desperate effort to remedy his fatal error; but the Africans, who were fresh and vigourous, easily maintained their advantage over his wearied soldiers. At length the rout became general throughout the Roman ranks; this was the greatest defeat that the Romans ever sustained. 70,000 men were killed on their side, and among these were so many knights, that it is said Hannibal sent to Carthage, as trophies, three bushels of gold rings, taken from their fingers.
After a design by Giulio Romano, Tapestry of the History of Scipio: the Battle of Zama, 1688–1689.
Low-warp wool and silk tapestry, 435 × 740 cm.
Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Battle of Zama
(19 October, 202 BCE)
By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge. By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes, he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose.
Scipio, after conquering all Spain, returned to Rome, and was appointed consul. Not content with the laurels he had already won, he determined upon an enterprise, which, if successful, should eclipse all his former victories. This was the conquest of Africa. Accordingly, he crossed over thither, and made it the seat of the war. The devastation of the country, the siege of Utica, one of oldest and most powerful cities of Phoenicia, the total defeat of the two armies – all these things forced the Carthaginians at last to turn their thoughts to peace. When the senators were introduced into the Roman general’s tent, they all prostrated themselves before him, and humbly sued for peace. Scipio granted a truce to the Carthaginians, who immediately sent an express to Hannibal to order his return into Africa. Hannibal obeyed, and returned into Africa with all his forces, and encamped within a short distance of the Roman army, at Zama, which lies at the distance of five days’ journey from Carthage.
The courage of the Carthaginians was increased by the presence of Hannibal, and they continually exhorted him to give battle at once to the Romans. But Hannibal, on the contrary, meditated peace. They met in an open space between the two armies; in sight of each other, these two generals, who were not only the most illustrious of their own age, but of all who have been recorded in any former time, both stood for some time silent, struck dumb as it were by mutual admiration. Hannibal could not prevail with himself to accept Scipio’s conditions, and returned to his army with the resolution to decide the fate of Carthage by a general battle.
Scipio then placed his army in battle array; he did not, as usual, place the cohorts in close order, each before their own colours, but posted